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Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1998

Warm weather may melt holiday sales

High temperatures have retailers locally, nationwide worrying about season

By Jeffrey Tomich
Staff Writer

   From Denver to Dallas to Detroit, retailers and analysts cite unseasonably warm temperatures as the No. 1 reason for sagging November department store sales.
   Even usually balmy Corpus Christi was three degrees warmer last month on average than previous years, according to the National Weather Service. And high temperatures nipped the 80-degree mark every day last week - about 10 degrees above normal.
   Just look outside. It's not uncommon to see shoppers during the holiday season flip-flopping about the malls in T-shirts, shorts and sandals.
   While spring-like conditions may be ideal for sun-worshipers, they have put a dent in sales, merchants say.
   John Charlton, manager of Sears on Airline Road, said the warm spell has had a negative impact on sales, though he declined to give specific figures.
   Retailers and merchandising experts say weather affects the psyche of shoppers, who might be more apt to head for the beach than the mall these days.
   Think the effect on sales is limited to sweaters, jackets and other cold-weather apparel? It's not. Grinch-like temperatures also are slowing the rate at which Christmas gifts and other holiday-related merchandise is purchased, Charlton said.
   "It's pretty hard to steal Christmas totally, but you can sure have an impact on it," he said.
   The upside for retailers here is that they're probably not being affected to the same extent as their counterparts in northern reaches, according to Doze Butler, an associate professor of fashion and interiors merchandising at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
   The reason: Stores here generally carry a different mix of merchandise than those in Northern states, where Sunday high temperatures reached 30 degrees above normal in spots.
   

Degrees of separation

   "It's really only a few degrees different than what we're used to, so it's not going to be as big of a problem with us," Butler said. "It's not really going to affect our thinking, psychologically, that much."
   Elise de Compiegne, a spokeswoman for Foley's, a Houston-based department store chain, said South Texas stores aren't stocked the same as the company's eight Denver stores.
   "We're in Houston and our buyers are in Houston. We are very mindful of where we are and we are making sure that they understand that. The buyers certainly don't want to overload any Southern climate with the heavy type of merchandise."
   

Not too thick

   Foley's knows well that its customers in Corpus Christi, McAllen and Laredo might be looking for different merchandise than those in Denver or Colorado Springs, Colo.
   "We bring in coats at different times of the year and bathing suits at different times of year," de Compiegne said. "We are also mindful of the weight of sweaters. Heavier gauge sweater and thicker knits may go into Colorado, certainly earlier than Corpus Christi."
   Charlton and other retailers can only hope that cooler temperatures arrive soon and warm up cash registers.
   "You can only go so long before it's hard to play catch-up," Charlton said. "If you go much longer than this weekend, it's going to be difficult."
   

Retailing notes

   Accent Furniture Studio, 5433 S. Staples St., Suite E, at Boardwalk Shopping Center, opened Oct. 1. The 800-square-foot shop operated by husband-and-wife owners Jim and Aimee Rice sells indoor and outdoor custom furniture and accessories as well as does custom finishing, refinishing and antique restoration. The Rices have been refinishing furniture for 15 years and expanded their business to include a retail outlet.
   On Retailing is published each Tuesday in the Staff Writer business section, and includes information on new, relocated and expanded businesses in the Coastal Bend, and trends in retailing. Items for consideration should be submitted to: On Retailing, Corpus Christi Staff Writer, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, Texas 78469; e-mail Jeffrey Tomich at tomichj@scripps.com; fax items to (512) 886-3732; or call (512) 886-4316.

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  © 1998 Corpus Christi Caller Times, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.